Legendary West Indies captain Clive Lloyd believes the time is right for the regional team to consider a new and more ‘powerful’ anthem.
Politically, with the West Indies operating as several separate countries, it would not be possible to have a national anthem. Currently, the song ‘Rally Round the West Indies’ by Calypsonian David Rudder, however, serves that purpose.
The song was released in 1987 – before being officially adopted as the team’s ‘national’ anthem by the then West Indies Cricket Board 12 years later.
Lloyd, however, believes the song possibly lacks the feel, power, and emotional depth of some of the national anthems of member nations that comprise the regional team. The former skipper made note of a memorable experience, while on tour of Australia.
“When I was manager, in Australia they play the anthem from both teams. The president came to me and said Clyde we would like to play the anthem from your country because you are the manager. I said, ‘No sir you would have to play the anthem of Mr. Walsh, he is the captain,” Lloyd recalled recently, on the Mason and Guest radio program.
“It was performed by an opera singer. When they sang the Jamaica national anthem, it has some drums and so on, hair grew on parts of my body that I didn’t think I had hair. It was so powerful. There was a guy there that was married to a Jamaican woman and tears came to his eyes. I told Walsh, ‘if you do not bowl this Australia side out, after listening to this anthem, something must be wrong with you guys’. It was the most powerful thing,” he added.
“We have great anthems around the islands. Let us come together and get one anthem that is powerful. When you listen to all the other anthems, they make you feel proud, they make you feel like doing extraordinary things. I think this is the time we should have that and one flag.” (Sportsmax)
